Pets have a lot of energy and need exercise to dissipate some of that energy and to stay fit. Pets usually get their exercise through playing fun games; chasing after, catching and retrieving some sort of projectile--usually a ball--is a particularly popular game which keeps a pet amused. Often, this game is played with or under the supervision of an adult; the adult throws the ball and the pet chases after the ball, sometimes catches it, and returns it to the adult to be thrown again. Unfortunately, though, a willing adult is not always present when the pet wants to play. What, then, is the poor pet to do? One possible solution for helping the pet is to provide them with a machine that automatically launches the ball, and to which they can return the ball to be launched again.
Unfortunately, there are very few machines which launch projectiles and can be used by a pet. Machines do exist for launching projectiles for recreational purposes; examples include tennis ball throwers used for tennis lessons, and baseball and softball throwers used in batting cages. But these machines have are unsuitable for use by pets. Existing machines are usually large, heavy contraptions which either cannot not be moved (often the case with baseball/softball machines) or must be put on a heavy base with wheels before it can be moved (often the case with tennis ball throwers). Thus, these machines are not portable and cannot easily be taken to yards, parks or other areas where children might play. Existing machines are also expensive and complex, making them impractical to buy for a pet, and rendering them too complex to be operated by a child and completely inoperable by a pet. These machines require some knowledge to properly select the machine's location and choose the correct operational settings (such as ball speed, and interval between ball launches). Moreover, they require some size and dexterity for operation; for example, the balls must usually be loaded into a large receptacle that would be out of reach for a pet, and which may be covered and locked for safety reasons, requiring some dexterity for opening. Finally, existing machines can pose a safety hazard, because they launch balls at high speeds that could injure pets.
Since existing projectile-launching machines are unsuitable for use by pets, there is a need for a projectile-launching machine which is portable and easily used by a pet, or for other similar purposes.